121: Reinventing Yourself (Part 2): Where to Start When You Restart

In the first episode of this three-part series, we talked about pivoting without throwing everything away. Pivoting is a process in and of itself and you can still bring along a lot of what you’ve already learned and built.

Starting from what seems like zero can be complicated, especially when you’ve been in your current industry for a while.

People might know you a certain way, you may have built up an existing audience, and your network might still be comprised of the field you want to depart from.

You may still have some foundation from your previous direction, but there is a lot of new ground to cover. If you want to be known for this new thing, you have to take the steps to get there.

This episode is the second in a three-part series on reinventing yourself. In today’s episode we’ll be talking about how to take beginner steps even though you have a lot of experience, and where you should be focusing when you decide to take the big steps of change.

Highlights, Takeaways, Quick Wins

Consider the level of infrastructure you’ve already built and determine how much of it can feasibly stay in place.

Change is going to be difficult for your audience no matter what, so decide to start fresh based on what your business needs first.

You need to establish trust in your new direction—provide proof over time that you know what you’re talking about and can deliver.

It’s more effective to start over with new copy and specific focus than try to appeal to your old and new audiences at the same time.

Trying to juggle too many things will lead to a drastic disconnect between you and your target audience.

Communicate the change that’s happening and what is going to happen. This will help your audience and your new direction as well.

Decide if you will keep and maintain your existing brand, or if you’ll start something completely new.

Brand is rooted in trust. The people who trust you will be the people who buy from you and tell others about you.

You will need to produce new and different types of content if you want to be known in your new direction.

The whole point of reinventing yourself is that you aren’t starting from zero.